Canadian CitizenshipFrom “Harder to get and easier to lose” to a new balance

Andrew Griffith Metropolis Toronto March 2016

Agenda• Policy context

• Statistics

• 2010 Changes and impact

• 2014 Changes and expected impact

• 2016 Adjustments and expected impact

• Longer-term implications2

Government ContextConservative

• Fearless advice and loyal implementation breakdown

• Ministerial certainty vs. “arrogance of the expert”

• Ideological/values divide

• Evidence and anecdote

Liberal

• Openness to advice, trust in public service

• More open style, internal and external

• More aligned ideology/values

• Evidence-based emphasis

3

Policy Context Global vs Local

• Citizenship: Facilitation vs. Meaningfulness

• Multiculturalism: Accommodation vs. Integration

• Conservatives stress meaningfulness (value), integration

• Liberals stress facilitation and accommodation (diversity and inclusion)

4

Citizenship Take-up Foreign-born by Place of Birth, Eligible, 2011 NHS

5

Europe

Southern Asia

Latin America

Africa

East and SE Asia

West Central Asia, Mid-East

Caribbean

United States

Oceania

625,000 1,250,000 1,875,000 2,500,000Canadian Only Dual Nationals Non-Citizens

Citizenship Visible Minorities, Eligible or Not, 2011 NHS

6

Total VisMin

Southeast AsianBlack

ChineseSouth Asian

JapaneseWest Asian

Arab

Latin AmericanFilipinoKorean

Not VisMin

25% 50% 75% 100%

2%37%32%30%28%25%24%20%19%18%14%22%

Canadian only Dual nationals Non-Citizens

PRs, Applications, Citizens 2004 to 2015 IRCC Operational Data

7

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Permanent Residents Applications New Citizens

Citizenship Take-Up 6 Years Since Landing vs All Years Since Landing 2015

20%

40%

60%

80%

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

49%

57%62%

67%71%73%

76%79%79%

47%44%50%

56%

6 Years Since Landing All Years Since Landing8

Citizenship Test Monthly Pass Rates

9

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Nov 10

Dec 10Ja

n 11

Feb 11

Mar 11Apr 1

1

May 11Ju

n 11Ju

l 11

Aug 11

Sep 11Oct

11

Nov 11

Dec 11Ja

n 12

Feb 12

Mar 12Apr 1

2

May 12Ju

n 12Ju

l 12

Aug 12

Sep 12Oct

12

Nov 12

Dec 12Ja

n 13

Feb 13

Mar 13Apr 1

3

May 13Ju

n 13Ju

l 13

Aug 13

Sep 13Oct

13

Nov 13

Dec 13Ja

n 14

Feb 14

Mar 14Apr 1

4

May 14Ju

n 14Ju

l 14

Aug 14

Sep 14Oct

14

Nov 14

Dec 14Ja

n 15

Feb 15

Mar 15Apr 1

5

May 15Ju

n 15Ju

l 15

Aug 15

Sep 15Oct

15

Nov 15

Dec 15

Monthly Rate 6 Month Moving Average

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Impact 2010 Changes Percentage Decline by Country of Birth

2010-13 and 2014 Compared to 2005-9 UPDATE IF POSSIBLE

CaribbeanSouth Asian

Southern & East AfricanWest Asian & Mid-EastCentral & West African

Latin AmericanNorth African

East & SE Asian South European

East EuropeanOceania

FrenchWest European

BritishNorth AmericanNorth European

-20% -15% -9% -4% 2%Percent Change 2010-13 from 2005-9 Percent Change 2014 from 2005-9

10

Overall Pass Rates

2005-9 96.3%

2010-13 82.7%

2014 90.3%

Changes 2010

• Emphasis on history, military, responsibilities

• More rigorous knowledge test

• Language “pre-assessment”

• Anti-fraud

11

2014 Citizenship Act Residency and Testing

• Longer residency (4 out of 6), physical presence

• From “honour system” to residency questionnaire

• “Intent to reside”

• Knowledge and language required 14-65

• Tax returns

12

2014 Citizenship Act Business Processes

• Removal of citizenship judges

• Ability to cancel incomplete applications

• Electronic means to verify citizenship.

• “Soft” commitment one year processing

13

2014 Citizenship Act Fairness

• “Lost Canadians” fix

• Fees from $100 to $530, plus language testing (~ $200)

• Revocation

• Fraud: Ministerial discretion

• “Terror and Treason” and dual nationals

14

Implications Conservative Changes

• Burden on low-income, less educated and refugees

• Further reduction in naturalization rate

• Weaker due process

• Revocation measures meant differential treatment for single and dual nationals for the same crime

15

Liberal Changes 2016 Adjustments, not full repeal

• Principle: “A Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian” • Repeal revocation for dual nationals for terror or treason

• Remove barriers • Restore the previous age limits for knowledge and language

testing to 18-54 (~ 10 percent of applicants) • Repeal the “intent to reside”

• Restore pre-permanent residency time 50 percent credit

• Maintain physical presence but reduce time required to 3 out of 5 years

• New Citizenship Study guide (replace Discover Canada)

16

Liberal Changes 2016 (2) Integrity

Maintain Conservative integrity improvements • Physical presence, not just legal residency • Knowledge requirement met in English or French, not through an interpreter • Bar granting citizenship to those with foreign criminal charges and convictions • Regulations for citizenship consultants • Increased fines and penalties for fraud • Ministerial authority to revoke citizenship for routine cases (previously, had been Governor in Council) • Ministerial authority on discretionary grants of citizenship (previously, had been Governor in Council) • Departmental authority to decide what is a complete application (streamlines processing) • Single-step citizenship processing (previously was three-step), reduced role for citizenship judges • Requirement for adult applicants to file Canadian income taxes

New integrity measures • No longer counting time spent under a conditional sentence order towards meeting physical presence • Retroactive application of prohibition of applicants from taking oath if never met/no longer meet requirements • Authority to seize fraudulent documents of those used fraudulently

Other • No change to “lost Canadians” provisions • Fast-track mechanism for Permanent Residents serving in the Canadian Forces

17

Gaps

• Review of citizenship fees

• Refugee waiver?

• Lack of service standards

18

Other

• No machinery change (wise)

• Experienced and knowledgeable minister

• Lower relative priority of citizenship vs immigration and refugees

• IRCC organizational structure

19

Implications Liberal Changes• Revocation repeal ensures consistent treatment for all

• Removal of testing for 55-64 greater impact than 14-17

• Reduced residency requirement small impact

• More welcoming approach (inclusive language in citizenship study guide and related materials)

• No weakening of integrity

20

Broader Issues

• Dual nationality, diaspora politics and loyalty

• Global mobility vs. belonging — competitiveness

• Declining naturalization rate and increased proportion of non-citizens

• Other: Voting rights, Birth tourism

21

Overall• Conservative integrity improvements with Liberal

facilitation measures

• Restoring the Diefenbaker policy of not stripping Canadians of citizenship

• Common language on ‘real and meaningful’ commitment to Canada

• Should reverse declining naturalization rate

22

Andrew Griffith

Email: agriffith232@gmail.comTwitter: @andrew_griffithLinkedIn: andrewlgriffithFacebook: Andrew Griffith C&MBlog: www.multiculturalmeanderings.wordpress.com

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